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“Dancing,” he repeats, tilting the frame closer.
“Yeah, like a waltz. There’s harmony in their battle.”
“It’s…it’s really wonderful, Evelyn.”
“You like it?”
“I do.” He sets it down next to the other. “Thank you again.”
“No, thank you. Without your help, these images never would have been possible.” My fingers trace the shapes of the image, and my arm brushes his. “Because of that, I figure, in some ways, they’re yours as much as mine.”
“That’s giving me more credit than I deserve,” he states, his voice in a low tone.
“I don’t care.”
A small silence enters the room with neither of us saying anything more about the images or our time together that brought about the art before us.
I withdraw my hand back into my own space. “Well, I guess I should get going,” I announce, adjusting my coat zipper. “I don’t want to miss my flight.”
“Right.”
Stuffing my hands into my jacket pockets, I walk back toward the entrance with Foster on my heels. He grabs the brass knob attached to the wooden entry to open the door a quarter of the way.
“Have a safe trip to New York,” he says.
“Actually, we’re going down south to see family friends. We get together every year. It’s kind of a pain in the ass, but it should be nice to get out of the cold for a little bit.”
“Oh, well then, enjoy the sunshine. Get a tan for me.”
“I will.” I play with the ends of my hair. “You have a merry Christmas, Foster.”
“Thanks.” He tightens his mouth and then slides an arm around my shoulders, pulling me in for an unexpected hug. “Merry Christmas,” he says next to my ear, squeezing me a little tighter.
Unsure of what else to do, I slip my hands around his waist, embracing him as well, and nod my head.
He releases me from his arms. I take a step back.
Foster widens the door. I exit into the hallway.
I turn, facing the awkward moment created between us.
Was a line just crossed in our arrangement? A hug?
“See you later,” I say nonchalantly, hoping the moment passes quickly.
“Sounds good.”
I descend the steps.
Halfway down, just before the first landing, Foster calls, “Hey, EJ?”
Gravity halts in my stomach.
I pivot on my heel, peering up at the man whose body I’ve gotten to know intimately over the past few weeks. “Yeah?”
He clomps down the steps, meeting me where I stand. His hand balls into a fist, resting in the space between us. “You forgot something.”
I smile.
I shake my head.
I bump my fist with his.
“See you later, Fozzie.”
“Okay, Evelyn.”
